Cultivator-hopple.



N9. 841,895. PATENTED JAN. 22, 1907. w. H. REEVES.

GULTIVATOR HOPPLB. APPLicATIoN ILED s PT.'29.190s.

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No. 841,895. PATENTED JAN. 22,1907. w. H. REEVES.'.

GULTIVATOR HOPPLB.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29,1906.

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT oFFioE.

WILLIAM H. REEVES; OF M'IDLOTHIAN, TEXAS.

CULTIVATOR-HOPPLE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 22, 1907.,

Application filed'SeptemberZ-Q, 1906. Serial No. 336,714.

Hopples, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cultivators, and more particularly to devices for setting'the plows of cultivators at suitable distances apart; and the object is to provide devices by which the operator. can set the plows at suitable distances apart without stopping the cultivatorwhere ordinary adjustments are necessary and also to provide devices for making unusual adjustments as to the distance between the plows.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained inthe following description, and the invention will be' more particularly. pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings,..which form. a part of this application and specification.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation. of a cultivator with my improved hopple attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the hopple with the operating-lever shown in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the rack and lever and one of the carriers. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the left carrier as shown in the drawings. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the right carrier. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a cultivator with the improved hopple attached, showing a variation in the bar for holding the hop les in upright positions. Fig. 7 is a side e evation of the rack and a portion of the operating-lever, showing the means for holding the lever in engagement with the rack. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the hopple-arms above the pivot-bolt which connects the hopples together.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

My invention is provided with arms 1 and 2, which are pivoted together by a pivot-bolt 3, which is an eyebolt, for the purpose hereinafter explained. A rack 4 is mounted on the arm 2 by means of brackets 5, which are bolted to the rack 4 and to the upper part of the arm 2. The arms 1 and 2 are bent at the upper parts, as shown in Fig. 3, to form carriers 6 and 7 for the threaded bearingsS for the right-and-left screw-shaft 9. The

bearings 8 are held in the carriers 6 and 7 by lugs 10 and 11, which operate as trunnions. Screws 11 attach the brackets to the trunnions 1 1, and the brackets are bolted to the rack 4. The trunnions 10 and: 11 are formed integral with the bearings 8, and the bearings 8 are elliptical in cross-section. This is done to prevent the edges of the bearings from rubbing against the carriers when the carriers are moved to extreme positions. The rack 4 is at a fixed distance from the carrier 6; but the position of the carrier- 7 will vary with each adjustment of the hopples, the shaft 9 moving loosely laterally through the rack 4. When the 'screwshaft 9 is turned, the carriers 6- and 7 will'be'brought nearer, and when the screwshaft is turned in the opposite direction the carriers will be spread farther apart. The screw-shaft 9 is square'in cross-section in the central part between the carriers 6 and 7 the threads on the end of the shaft 9. next toor operating. in. carrier 7 extending far enough for the-necessary adjustment of the hopples. The screw shaft 9 is operated by a lever 12. The lever 12 has a fork 13 at the lower end which engages the square portion of. the screw-shaft 9. The threads of the screwshaft 9 are made wide apart, so that a slight movement of the lever will draw the arms of the hopple nearer together or spread the same, as may be desired, the fork of the lever engaging the screw-shaft closely, so that the screw-shaft will turn every time the lever moves.

The lever 12 is provided with a springactuated dog 14, which engages the rack 4 and holds the lever at whatever position the lever is set. The rack 4 is sufficiently large for all ordinary adjustments of the hopplearms. It may be said that the lever is fulcrumed on the screw-shaft, and the movement of the lever through an are equivalent to the arc of the rack will be of sufficient range to allow all ordinary adjustments. If a greater adjustment is necessary than the adjustment permitted by the rack 4, the lever can be released from the hopple and the screw-shaft turned suli'iciently to secure the required adjustment.

The lever 12 is held in place by the screw-shaft 9 by the rack 4, the lever 12 having a lip 15, which prevents the lever from falling away from the rack by a lip 1.6 which engages the hub of the rack, and by a key 16, which prevents the lever from releasing the screw-shaft 9.

Thus lateral movement of the lever from the rack 4 is prevented by the lips 14 and 16, and vertical movement of the lever is prevented by the key 16.

The lower ends of the arms I and 2 may be attached to the plowbeams in any suitable manner. The hopple is held in position by a bar 19, which is flush with the rear sides of the arms 1 and 2 and is attached to the axle of the cultivator by U-bolts 20. A keeper 21 is attached to the arm 2, and the bar 19 extends between the keeper 21 and the arms 1 and 2. By these means the hopples are prevented from leaning forward or backward out of position.

Instead of attaching the bar 19 to the axle this bar may be attached to the truck-beam, as shown in Fig. 6. In such case the arms 1 and 2 would have to be longer than these are in the construction shown in Fig. 1. The bolt 3 may be an eyebolt. Rods 18 may be connected with the eyebolt 3 and to any suitable part of the truck for bracing the arms 1 and 2 instead of using the bar or keeper 19.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hopple for cultivators comprising a pair of adjusting-arms, pivotally connected together at their crossing, screw-threaded bearings carried by said arms, a right-andleft screw-shaft operating in said bearings, a rack carried by one of said arms, a portion of said shaft between said bearings being square in cross-section, a lever having a fork engaging said shaft whereby said lever is fulcrumed 1 for turning said shaft, and means for holding saicll lever at any adjustment relative to said rac 2. A hopple for cultivators comprising a pair of plow-adjusting arms pivotally connected together at their crossings, screwthreaded bearings carried by said arms, said arms being bent to form carriers for said bearings, said bearings being elliptical in cross-section and having lugs projecting through the sides of said carriers, a right-andleft screw-shaft operating in said bearings for adjusting said arms, a rack carried by one of said carriers, a lever for operating said screw-shaft, and means for holding said lever in operative relation to said rack.

3. A hopple for cultivators comprising a pair of plow-adjusting arms pivotallyconnected together at their crossings, said arms being bent at the upper parts thereof to form carriers, screw-threaded bearings mounted in said carriers, a right-and-left screw-shaft operatingin said bearings, a rack, brackets attaching saidrack to one of said carriers, a portion of said shaft being square in crosssection, a lever having a fork at the lower end thereof engaging said shaft, and a dog carried by said lever for holding said lever at various adjustments on said rack.

In testimony whereof Iset my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, this 31st day of August, 1906.

WILLIAM H. REEVES.

Witnesses:

J. E. HOLLAND, G. W. NEWTON. 

